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Match 21 of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2021) will see the Punjab Kings take on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narenda Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Monday.
The Punjab Kings will head into the game on the back of a stunning win over the Mumbai Indians which saw them restrict the likes of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav to a below-par total. PBKS captain KL Rahul then led the chase with a well-timed fifty, with Chris Gayle also finding some form in the middle. However, team balance is still an issue for the Punjab Kings, who might have to make a few changes in personnel, given the change in venue. Nevertheless, PBKS have been decent with the ball in IPL 2021, with Arshdeep Singh being the pick of the lot. With momentum on their side, the Punjab Kings will ideally fancy a win as they look to sustain their challenge for an IPL 2021 playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders have endured a disappointing campaign in IPL 2021 so far. Although they began their season with a decent win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Knight Riders have since lost four games on the trot. Their top-order consisting of Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, and Rahul Tripathi has blown hot and cold, with Eoin Morgan also struggling for runs in the middle. The onus will be on Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik to deliver the goods with the bat if KKR are to return to winning ways. Much is expected from their bowlers too, with only Varun Chakravarthy impressing for KKR. Given the conditions in Ahmedabad, Kolkata will need the likes of Pat Cummins and possibly Lockie Ferguson to fire big time in what is a crucial game for the former IPL champions.
Although the Kolkata Knight Riders will be itching to bounce back to winning ways, they will head into the game as underdogs. The Punjab Kings have done well in patches, but against Eoin Morgan and co., they will need to bring their A-game to te table. All in all, a cracking game of cricket beckons with both teams looking to keep their playoff hopes intact as the Ahmedabad leg of IPL 2021 commences this Monday.
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Squads to choose from
Punjab Kings
KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Nicholas Pooran, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Deepak Hooda, Prabhsimran Singh, Mohammed Shami, Chris Jordan, Darshan Nalkande, Ravi Bishnoi, Murugan Ashwin, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar, Ishan Porel, Dawid Malan, Jhye Richardson, Shahrukh Khan, Riley Meredith, Moises Henriques, Jalaj Saxena, Utkarsh Singh, Fabian Allen, Saurabh Kumar
Kolkata Knight Riders
Dinesh Karthik, Andre Russell, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Mavi, Shubman Gill, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan, Pat Cummins, Rahul Tripathi, Varun Chakravarthy, Pawan Negi, Tim Seifert, Shakib al Hasan, Sheldon Jackson, Vaibhav Arora, Karun Nair, Harbhajan Singh, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer
Check IPL 2021 Teams and Squads
Predicted Playing XIs
Punjab Kings
KL Rahul (c&wk), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Nicholas Pooran, Deepak Hooda, Shahrukh Khan, Moises Henriques, Jhye Richardson, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami
Kolkata Knight Riders
Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Ben Cutting/Lockie Ferguson, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna, Pat Cummins and Shivam Mavi
Match Details
Match: Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2021, Match 21
Date & Time: 26th April 2021, at 7:30 PM IST
Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Pitch Report
As seen in the series between India and England last month, a decent batting track beckons at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Although the pitch is a touch on the slower side, there is ample swing on offer to keep the bowlers interested.
The dimensions of the ground should also play into the batters' hands, with running between the wickets being crucial. Change of pace will be key for the fast bowlers.
Powerplay overs will yet again be crucial, given the field restrictions. Dew could play a part in the second innings, which may lure captains into fielding first upon winning the toss. 170 should be par at the venue, with the pitch not expected to change much during the IPL 2021 match on Monday.
IPL 2021 Dream11 Fantasy Suggestions (PBKS vs KKR)
Fantasy Suggestion #1: Nicholas Pooran, Chris Gayle, Eoin Morgan, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Shami, Pat Cummins, Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh
Captain: Shubman Gill. Vice-captain: Chris Gayle
Fantasy Suggestion #2: Nicholas Pooran, Chris Gayle, Rahul Tripathi, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Deepak Hooda, Mohammed Shami, Pat Cummins, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi
Captain: Chris Gayle. Vice-captain: Andre Russell
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